Job seekers stranded in Jeddah

JAKARTA: Fifty-six Indonesian job seekers are stranded in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, after applying in Jakarta for what they thought was employment as stewardesses.

Yunus Yamani, who heads an association that provides Indonesian workers overseas, said the Indonesians belonged to a group of 200 job seekers from several countries who came to Jeddah under the same promise of becoming stewardesses at an airline named Falcon.

The Indonesians responded to a job advertisement for the position in February last year.

Applicants were reportedly interviewed at an office in Tebet, South Jakarta, and those who passed signed a contract which promised a monthly salary of US$800. The signing took place at Hotel Mulia, Central Jakarta.

They were then flown to Jeddah for their training, but it was not immediately clear whether they had bought their own tickets.

Along with job seekers from other countries, the Indonesian group stayed at the Jeddah Crown Hotel without receiving any training until Jan. 29, when the hotel ordered them to leave.

"The general consulate in Jeddah is trying to get the parties involved to take responsibility," Yunus said. -- Antara